LTE in Rural America 2nd Annual Conference

Discussing connectivity in rural areas.

Tomorrow kicks off the second annual meeting of participants in the LTE in Rural America program, launched in June 2010 to accelerate the rollout and adoption of 4G LTE services in rural areas.

To date, 17 rural carriers participate in the program, through which Verizon Wireless leases 700 MHz C block spectrum to companies to build and operate their own 4G LTE networks in rural communities. Earlier this year, Cellcom and Pioneer Cellular were the first to introduce 4G LTE service for their customers. Four other rural carriers are scheduled to launch later this year.

At this year’s summit, representatives from 16 rural carriers will gather at the Verizon Innovation Center East in Waltham, Mass., to get an update on the program and share lessons learned as participants prepare to launch or expand their LTE networks. Verizon Wireless CTO Nicki Palmer will keynote the event and provide an update on Verizon’s 4G LTE network rollout plans and progress.

Initiatives such as the Innovation Center and LTE in Rural America program underscore how by working together the industry can deliver the full benefits of 4G LTE technology and fuel the engine of innovation that will define the next era of communications.